Category: Articles

A brand New Year is about to start and here we are, making a list of the things we would like to see in the newer, improved version of ourselves.

The trick with the New Year resolutions is to keep them simple, so be SMART about them:

S: Specific

M: Measurable

A: Achieveable

R: Realistic

T:Time-bound.

To avoid the so-called “false hope syndrome” and fix overambitious goals that will let you already frustrated a few months into the new year, it’s a great idea to start with small and simple resolutions. Here are 8 we have put together for you to choose from

1. Maintain a clean Desktop.

Einstein was well known to always have a messy desk and so did Mark Twain, so we like to associate the piles of books and mountains of papers we see in their portraits with a sign of intelligence and creativity. how organized would they be, if they had computers and smartphones? we will never know, but we know for sure how contemporary digital clutter builds up on us . start the year by cleaning the desktop. It is a good idea to see a clean scree as you turn the computer on.

2. Avoid Honking

It happens so often, especially in India, to be stuck in traffic for a long time; we get so frustrated that we think honking is the solution to everything and we honk. In reality it doesn’t move a thing, but only creates more noise pollution. So in the New Year save your efforts and focus on the breath with a three-second micro meditation overtime you feel the stress is mounting. It won’t solve the traffic situation but it will certainly help you remain sane in a messy situation.

3. Go old school where the need is.

These days everything has gone digital. There are apps that can also control the light switches in the house! Even if technology is so developed, do we really need to have the phone with us in the bed? if the excuse is we we need it to put the alarm, we can do with a simple alarm clock; this will improve the sleep time and quality of our sleep.

4. Learn to say ‘No’

Some countries, like Japan and india, have cultural traditions where people find it very hard to say No, even when deep inside they know they don’t want to do what they are asked for. this only builds up frustrations and spoils our relations with others, as those around one cannot know we are not in a position to do something if we do not tell them. Learn to politely say no.

5. Gather more experiences

in 2018,make a little effort to exit from your comfort zone and do something different: learn a new skill, take a dance class or finally travel to that place you always wanted to see and never had time to visit. gathering experience will enrich the way you employ your time. it will also be a great occasion to make new friends and boost your self-confidence.

6. Learn a new Language

we live in a highly digital environment where everything and everyone is interconnected. yet every person and every country has different features and knowing the languages spoken elsewhere will give you a much broader understanding of others. learning languages simulates the brain too and its a tremendous exercise to keep your mind sharp and fit while enjoying yourself.

7. Complain less

Complaining less in stressful situation can certainly save your time and give you a calmer mind to deal with the actual challenge. complaining about everything ends up influencing the nerve paths and synopsis and you will ultimately end up seeing every situation with a negative tint. Analyze the words you use, give up negations and negative terms while speaking and making comments.

8. Give up on Toxic People

This might not be very easy to achieve, but you can start by acknowledging that some of the people around you might be doing you more harm than good. In 2018 make no space for narcissist, neurotic and abusive behaviours so just get rid of toxic people.

We have all had days when we feel like each asana is a little more difficult than it was ever before. After such a yoga practice, we feel more stretched, relaxed and calm. Have you ever wondered why stretching and flexibility is critical for our proper physical and mental functioning?

I’m sure at some point during your yoga journey, you have heard someone complain about not liking yoga because they are not flexible. It is extremely important to share with any fellow yoga practitioner or enthusiast you may know, that flexibility is not a pre-requisite for yoga but a by-product. One doesn’t begin with flexibility but over a period of continued practice, attains it. Yoga combines stretching and relaxation, which lead to flexibility.

But why do we need to be flexible, you ask?
There are many benefits of being flexible. In this blog post we will look into some of these benefits.

1. Reduces risk of injury
A flexible body is much more prepared for sudden, unexpected movements and strain during intense workouts. There is scientific evidence that the incidence of injury decreases when people include flexibility training in their routines due to the enhanced ability to move unimpeded through a wider range of motion. Spending few minutes a day on flexibility training or yoga, increase your flexibility. This leads to increased circulation to the muscles and important organs. A 2009 study in the American Journal of Physiology showed that for people age 40 and over, flexibility in the body was accompanied by flexibility in the arteries, thus reducing the risk for cardiovascular disease and even death.

2. Improves everyday functions
A flexible body will always be able to perform daily functions with more ease, such as reaching, bending, or stooping during daily tasks. An increased range of motion also allows you to perform daily functions with less risk of injury.

3. Improves posture, balance and reduces back pain
Stiff muscles can often lead to incorrect posture. A tight muscle in one part of your body may result in overexertion and pulling on another part, changing the way one holds their body in its relaxed state and placing strain on those joints. Increased flexibility in the large muscles in the lower body can help reduce stress on the lower back and reduce chronic back pain.

4. Reduces stress in intense workouts & enhances athletic performance
A well-stretched muscle will easily achieve its full range of motion which helps us utilize the full potential of muscles. This improves athletic performance and ability to do intense workouts with less strain on the joints. So a golf swing will be more effortless if the hips and shoulders are flexible and released. A tennis serve will be more powerful if there is greater range of motion. A runner will have better control of their form and gate if the muscles are limber and stretched out.

5. Mind-body connection
Some times when we engage in intense workouts or activities, we find ourselves losing track of the mind-body connection. We may be going too fast physically while the breath is not synced to the body and so the mind too gets distracted. With a flexible body, one can retain greater motor control and ability to respond to your environment. This helps us to improve the connection with the body as well as to the environment, leading to a much more aware and present existence.

As I tell all my students, it is easy to over-stretch so always remember, stretching should never be painful. There should never be a shooting or stabbing pain while stretching. The focus should be on bringing the muscle to a point of slight tension. It is essential that you continue your breathing pattern throughout the stretch. A great stretch is when the breath is unaffected and synced with the body.

To help you get more balanced and flexible, we have two exciting workshops this month.

18th November: The first workshop will be an Iyenger yoga based workshop with focus on twisting poses, which help release the back. Using props, we will learn about correct alignment and increased range of motion.
For details click here.

25th November: The second workshop will focus on improving the mobility of the shoulders and hips, through restorative yoga and static stretches.
For details click here.

This article is written by our head teacher Priyanjali Das. With focus on anatomy and mindfulness, her AtréYoga classes are welcoming and free of judgment & restrain. To know when she takes classes, click here to view the schedule.

With stress of a corporate job or looking after children all day and night, women experience low sexual drive from time to time and are either tired or just not interested. Although, pharmaceutical companies are working on launching a libido boosting pill, Zubin Atré shares with Mail Today how meditation may help one become emotionally aware and how doing yoga with your partner help couples rediscover their sexual drive.

Below is the snippet of how yoga and meditation can be ones guide to increase libido and if one is interested to read the complete article, by Lipla Negi, it is available here.

1.Yoga is not a religion. The word Yoga comes from the Sanskrit root “yuj”, which mean “to yoke, to unite”. As such, Yoga is the union of body, mind and spirit: it can be practiced at a physical, mental and/or spiritual level, independently from one’s religious beliefs.

2. You don’t need to be flexible to do Yoga. You gain flexibility by doing it.

3. An adult breathes 16 – 20 times in a minute; by practicing Yoga asanas (postures) and pranayam (yogic breathing techniques) your breath rate can be slowed down – which helps slow down the ageing process, as slower breathes mean less free radicals from the oxygens.

4. If you are a serious sports person, Yoga can help you improve the quality of your performance in the sport you practice, being it an effortless swing of the golf club, or the underwater breath for a scuba diver, or the energy management for a rock climber.

5. If you are a “gym guy” your body will particularly thank you for doing Yoga along with your gym routine. Yoga improves muscle coordination. Moreover the conscious use of the breath used in Yoga prevents the creation of lactic acid and increases the overall muscle quality.

6. Yoga has therapeutic values and can integrate medical treatments; however, it suits as well people in good health who want to keep fit, decrease the level of stress and live a more balanced and healthy lifestyle.

7.Yoga can help you lose weight as it works on your endocrine system by balancing your hormones and improving the quality of your digestion. Focusing on awareness, Yoga will also introduce you to mindful eating and therefore help improve your eating habits.

8. A good Yoga Teacher is a must, especially as you approach Yoga for the first time. At the same time, encourage your own self to practice at home, making Yoga a part of your daily routine.

9. Yoga is not about competition, neither with others nor with yourself. Do what you easily can, listen to your body and understand your current limits as well as your potential to progress in the practice safely and steadily.

10. And by the way, since I have been asked this a few times: homosexuality is not a disease; it does not need to be cured, so Yoga can’t “cure” it.

Your successful or failed attempts on the mat while trying various yoga poses help you become more acceptable of your triumphs and failures in life,” says yoga expert Zubin Atré. With each attempt you get better at the mind-body coordination, which makes decision-making easier. “It also teaches ‘energy management’ – the bigger the role, more energy one requires,” says Atré. Click on the link for article .

For NDTV Food

According to Zubin Atré, Founder, AtréYoga Studio, “Yoga offers multiple health benefits. It is instrumental in energy management. It keeps our energy levels up and balanced. It also helps in improving breath quality, lowering stress and cortisol levels, helping you maintain peace. Consequently, even your inter-personal relationships and communication improves. Physically, you feel more flexible, stronger and gain stamina. In a nutshell, you feel like a superhuman. Click on the link for article.

Radio France International, Sébastien Farcis

On the occasion of World Yoga Day, Zubin Atré and his students talk about the benefits of yoga. Meanwhile another yoga practitioner discusses the reservations some Muslims have towards the growing promotion of yoga in India. As someone who finds in yoga a source of beneficial knowledge, he sees no conflict between yoga and Islam.

Delhi, AtréYoga Studio – June 21, 2015. Last year the United Nations unanimously voted for a resolution commemorating 21 June as International Yoga Day. AtréYoga Studio joins billions in celebrating the practice which originated in India more that 6000 years ago. Zubin Atré, teacher and founder of AtréYoga Studio will conduct a free yoga class honouring the world event.

Now a popular practice around the world, yoga has found many variations. At AtréYoga Studio, yoga has been presented in many forms, for example, alongside live music through programs such as Sitar Yoga and Yoga with Keys (keyboards). Partner Yoga is another form of yoga where two or more people team up to provide acrobatic form to traditional yoga. Biomechanics of the Sun Salutation provides a physical breakdown of the movements of the suryanamaskar.

Zubin Atré’s writing has also been published widely in many magazines and newspapers. He is also a regular contributor at the international quarterly magazine The Outdoor Journal, where he designs yoga sequences that aid and sustain outdoor adventurers in sports such as skiing, climbing, etc. Zubin Atré has also written a book on Partner Yoga slated to be released next year. “‘Every body is unique and has its own potentials and limits,” says Zubin Atré, “Rather than putting bodies into the asna I would prefer to put asnas in the bodies.” Yoga can be applied to any physical, mental and spiritual activity, he adds, “In fact, yoga can even benefit young children, golfers, people who work at NASA, astronauts in space, simply everyone.”

“We hope that having a worldwide event recognising yoga will increase its daily practice,” says Zubin Atré, “Yoga should be celebrated everyday.”

AtréYoga Studio’s free yoga class will be held on Sunday 21 June from 10:30 am – 12 pm to commemorate the World Yoga Day.

1. DO arrive 10 minutes early. New students can get to know the class and talk to the instructor. Arriving early also gives you time to lay out your mat, stretch and catch up with teachers and participants.

2. DO let your teacher know about any injuries or pains. Let the teacher know if any medical conditions may affect your practice. Talk to the teacher before and after the class and let them know if any pains arise.

3. DO remove your shoes as soon as you enter the room and leave them at the entrance in the appropriate space to ensure maximum hygiene and comfort to all the participants.

4. DO turn off mobile phones and other distractions. Enjoy the yoga class in full awareness while at the studio. Leave work, home and other thoughts behind.

A power nap takes 10-20 minutes of sleep, when the brain releases theta waves, and falls into a relaxed state of mind. This state ends before the occurrence of deep sleep (or slow wave sleep).A power nap gives you an instant flow of energy as it increases alertness, stamina, motor learning and motor performance. It also improves muscle memory and it clears the brain from unnecessary built-up information, which helps long-term memory. Avoid nonetheless napping for longer than 30 minutes: after that time your sleep state will progress to the second stage of sleep in which one feels sleep inertia. It would take you more efforts to shake that off.

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